By Oken Jeet Sandham
KOHIMA, Jul 11 (NEPS): Veteran Congress leader and Opposition Congress MLA SI Jamir has not approved the idea of demanding the Center a certain amount of fund as sustenance for the Naga underground people who are in ceasefire with the Government of India as a solution to the underground taxation in the State.
It may be mentioned that of late State Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been demanding the Center to frame certain policy to support the Naga underground people who are in truce with them (Center). He even went to the extent of blaming the Center for failure to formulate a policy to provide sustenance for the Naga outfits.
Rio further pointed out that since the undergrounds were not provided with any sustenance for their survival, they were compelled to impose various taxes on the people.
Talking to NEPS here at Congress Bhavan Thursday, Opposition Congress MLA SI Jamir, who is also President of NPCC, wondered the manner in which the State Chief Minister was trying to shift the blame to the Center for his (Rio) failure to run the affairs of the State.
Jamir alleged that the so-called multiple underground taxations in the State was because of the failure of the State administration. He, however, disclosed that the people were prepared to contribute to underground once in a year but not in multiple ways. And when such activities were taking place in the State, it had directly affected the citizens and then it “automatically falls under the purview of law and order.” “The State has failed in maintaining law and order,” he alleged.
“We also have seen relative peace taking place in the State after the ceasefires between the Center and the Naga underground groups, even collection of taxes or extortions was not that much,” the NPCC leader said. “But, unfortunately, more factions gradually came up and then more problems increased due to one-upmanship amongst them.”
“However, there are ceasefires with the Center and they are bound by the mutually agreed upon ceasefire ground rules,” he stated.
But asking the Center to frame policy to provide sustenance for the Naga underground outfits was “ridiculous,” Jamir said adding, “It would be a political blunder if they (Naga underground outfits) accept such pattern. “Because they have been negotiating with the Center on equal footing,” he explained.